MDCCCIII 1803
by Yukimura Akira
Summary: AU KonoSetsu Fic. I can't really think of any summary right now since I'm kinda brain dead at the moment. Chapter IV up. Feel free to comment on my horrible writing style. Anything but flame please. Note: I've done a little editing to the last chapter.
1. The Fated Destiny

Akira: Okay… This idea just popped into my head recently. And by recently, I meant a few days ago. So… yeah. I was hesitating on whether to write this or not since I'm half suffering from a case of writer's block right now and I can't really write proper sentences! But since I really, really like this idea of mine (somehow?), I decided to write it out! xD

Okay… I was inspired by… something, I remember. I think it's one of Furu Kei's fics. I forgot the title, but it was really good Thank you Furu-chan! -Grins- Alright! Enough of my random ramblings, you guys must be bored from reading this pile of junk right now. A bit of a warning though, the characters might be a little OOC somehow. Then again, it's AU, so screw it! xD

I'd like to thank Furu-chan (Furu Kei) for beta-ing for me. Arigatou, Furu-chan! You've been a big help!

Disclaimer: I do not own _Mahou Sensei Negima _in anyway. Well, maybe just fourteen volumes of the manga… But that's all! Nothing else! Okay, I've got a really annoying OC in mind, a spoiled brat and a downright bitch in fact. So feel free to bash her all you want LOL. (She won't appear just yet though; this story is still under construction.)

_Prologue_

The story begins…

**Uzoku Land**

"Unwahh! Unwahh! Unwahh!"

Cries of a baby could be heard from a dark room with curtains drawn over all the windows.

"My lady, it's a b-boy! Congratulations, you finally have a male heir!" The midwife coughed uncomfortably as she wrapped a dry cloth around the newborn baby. "Oh my, snow white wings! This is terrible!"

As if on cue upon hearing that, the woman on the bed clutched her face in her hands, sobbing uncontrollably. White wings were regarded as terrible misfortunes in the tribe, not to mention that her newborn child is a half-human! They'll be thrown out from the Uzoku land!

The other person in the room held a blade against the midwife's neck and whispered coldly, "Speak of this to anyone and you die, woman. Do you understand?"

Getting the message that she'll be killed without mercy if she lets the cat out of the bag, she nodded frantically and left the room in a hurry.

-----

"Sakurazaki-sama, please take care of your health!"

One of the crow demons bowed his head, holding onto the critically ill leader's wrinkled, cold hands.

"I… I think my time is up…," the frail demon coughed. His hair was as grey as the skies above, his skin as pale as snow, and his eyes were dull and lifeless.

"My… son… I want to see… him," he paused, only to continue weakly, "b-bring him to me…"

The man held the baby in his arms carefully and gasped in horror at the color of the wings as the baby kicked around and spread his wings fully. "Sir, your… Son. Wings of misfortune, my lord! You must not name him your heir for it will bring downfall to our land!"

He brought up his hand weakly to stroke the child's head affectionately before replying, "No! I sense great power from within him. He will take my place as the new king. He will be the one to bring our tribe to greater heights than ever. Hattori… Would you not even grant a dying old man's wish?"

It seemed that even simply breathing proved to be too difficult for him.

"No sir… but…"

"Then promise me that you'll take care of him as you would of your own child. Nurture him into a leader everyone will respect… This is the very last request I ask of you," he finished, as a single tear rolled down from the corner of his eye.

"As you wish, my lord. I will do my best to raise your child," Hattori knelt down and bowed in respect, deciding to trust the man he had served for years.

"Very… well…" He coughed, and spoke for the last time. "Listen well… I, Sakurazaki Kazuma, hereby… name Sakurazaki Setsuna… as my… rightful heir…"

Two months later…

**Outskirts of Mahora Kingdom**

"Damn it! Why does it have to rain now?!"

The masked man rode on his steed, urging it to go faster than it already was. The sky was pitch black and even though the fog was too thick for him to be traveling at this speed, he had no choice but to hurry! This concerns the well-being of the whole continent! The horse neighed loudly, coming to a stop all of a sudden when a piercing scream of pain suddenly echoed into the night…

-----

**Mahora Castle Gate**

_Boom!_

_Crack!_

The tall oak tree right outside the gates of the Mahora castle came down with a loud crash, as the lightning came in contact with one of its branches. The soldier on duty jumped, startled by the sudden noise which came from the tumbling tree. Immediately, he grabbed a spear resting by his side and readied it, vaguely recognizing the sounds of a horse galloping towards the castle at high speed.

"Halt! Who goes there?!" The soldier raised his spear quickly and pointed it at the masked man atop the majestic black stallion.

A deep voice came from behind the mask, which replied, "I am bringing an urgent message from Eishun-sama! Please let me in! Here's the token of entry!"

After carefully scrutinizing the token, he lowered his weapon and he opened the enormous gate. "Alright, go on through."

As the man passed, he drew his sword from the sheath and struck at the guard from behind, leaving a gash on the guard's body from the right shoulder to the left side of his lower back.

"Argh!"

Reaching into his cloak, he took out a piece of cloth and wiped away the blood on the sword, throwing the cloth aside into a corner where nobody would find it. He smirked at the dying guard and whispered into his ears, "Thanks for letting me in this time, but if there's a next time for you, try to be smarter and not let your enemy enter the castle so easily."

The words echoed in his mind clearly.

_Find the girl and bring her back at all costs. Failure is not an option._

He whipped out a dagger and advanced quickly before anyone could find him. Sneaking behind one of the imperial guards, he grabbed the man and plunged the dagger right into his chest, stabbing the guard's heart and killing the man instantly.

-----

**Inside the castle**

_Crack!_

The thunder boomed loudly as it shook the painting visibly which was hanging on the wall. (The first thunder x)

"I bring bad news, Konoemon-sama!" The imperial guard stopped to catch his breath and continued, "The guard at the gates has been killed! There's a spy within the castle, your majesty. You must evacuate immediately!"

"No, I cannot leave. I am the ruler of this country. I must stay with my country until the end. Takahata-kun, I hereby order you to leave with the princess. She is of utmost importance. We mustn't let them have her or this continent will be doomed." Konoemon stood from his throne, his voice ringing throughout the room.

"But your majest-"

Konoemon held up his hand, silencing Takahata.

"Leave, now! This is an order, Captain Takahata. Go before it is too late!"

Takahata stared at Konoemon's face, realizing that the lord was serious, dead serious. There was nothing he could do to change his master's mind now. Understanding his role to its entirety, he bowed one last time and replied solemnly, "As you wish, sire."

"Wait, take this with you," Konoemon spoke, removing a pendant from his neck. Takahata turned it over to see that it was a symbol of the royal family, proof that one belongs to the Konoe family. Other than that, four roman numerals were inscribed onto the back of the pendant. "Keep it safe, and protect the princess's life as you would protect mine."

Takahata wasted no time at all, grabbing the necklace from the king and leaving the throne room as quickly as he could. He ran through the hall to find that everywhere was in chaos. Soldiers roamed the corridors and halls, searching everywhere for the spy who managed to sneak in.

_Please let me find her before the enemy does!_

He searched every single room, but the princess was no where to be seen.

_The nursery! _

An infant's faint cry could be heard outside the room.

_Hime-sama!_

In the corner of the room was an infant not much older than a month, crying in her crib, apparently afraid of the ruckus the people were causing around her. The thunder roared once again, making the baby cry even harder than she already did. The birthmark on her left chest was mysteriously glowing, as if giving off magical power.

_So this is why they want the princess… I'll never let them have her!_

Carrying the infant in his arms, he ran as fast as he could, until he reached a dead end with a large statue which seemed to be guarding something behind it. Reaching for the key that hung around his neck, he plunged it into the keyhole and waited patiently.

"Who dares to disturb my sanctuary?" A sonorous voice boomed.

Takahata widened his eyes at the talking stone gargoyle as it came alive, towering over Takahata at the height of at least three feet or more.

"I'm the captain of the imperial guards, Takahata. T. Takamichi. Please, let me through. It is of great importance that I leave now," Takahata answered, looking around for any hidden attackers.

"None may enter unless they speak the royal password!" The stone gargoyle stood up suddenly; big yellow eyes peered into Takahata's own as it waited for an answer.

He racked his brains for an answer and remembered the pendant. Turning the pendant over, he saw the numbers.

_MDCCCIII (1803)_

"MDCCCIII…" he whispered to nobody in particular and suddenly, the gargoyle sprung to life and revealed a hidden door behind it.

The doors to the secret passage swung wide open and Takahata stared at the door in surprise. Snapping himself back to reality, he decided that it wasn't time for him to be dreaming at the moment.

-----

"Where is the girl?" The tall figure used his sword to stab the old man in the abdomen. The elderly man cringed in pain.

"Using underhanded means to defeat me… I'll never… Give in to the likes of you!"

The figure pulled out the sword from the abdomen said, "I guess it's no use asking you. I have no more use for you." Blood spurted from Konoemon's mouth as he felt the sword in his chest; his sight was failing him. There was nothing he could do now…

The masked spy removed his sword forcefully from Konoemon's body…which now lay dead on the ground.

Another man, wearing the uniform of an imperial court official, entered the room and looked down upon Konoemon's corpse.

"How unsightly, Konoemon-sama. You should've known better than to defy us," He turned to the assassin and narrowed his eyes, "Sasuke, Takahata has used the tunnel to escape. Wait for them outside the tunnel. Do not hurt the princess, we need her."

"Yes sir. What about the guard?"

"Kill him. Do _not_ fail."

With a wave of his hand, the man leapt into the darkness and then proceeded to where he was instructed go.

-----

"We should be safe for now, hime-sama," Takahata cradled the princess in his arms, and made his way out of the tunnel. To his surprise, the man named Sasuke stood right in front of him and reached for the princess. He dodged to the left, only to receive a direct kick to his ribs.

_How?!_

Leaping backwards, he dodged the oncoming attacks by the assassin and managed to gain a distance between them. He coughed due to the damage to his ribs.

_Damn it! So it comes down to this after all…_

_Magic in the left hand…_

His left hand glowed with power, emitting a semi-bright light in the middle of the night.

_Ki in the right hand…_

When his right hand started to glow, he raised his right hand to the hand that was holding the little princess and a streak of blinding light began to emit from his body, feeding him with endless energy.

_Kankahou!_

"Hand over the princess!" Sasuke charged forward, swinging his sword upwards, carefully avoiding the princess and managed to slice off a few strands of hair from Takahata.

Drawing his own sword, Takahata charged with an inhuman speed and as he felt both swords clash, he proceeded to a leg sweep. Without giving his opponent a chance to regain balance, he rushed forward once again…

_End of prologue_

Akira: Well… There're lots of things I won't say for now. I'm sure there're many questions waiting to be asked as well, but I won't answer them just yet xD You'll have to read on to find out more! –Cackles evilly- muahahahahahahahahaha! The little blue button there is telling you to press it Ah… I'd like to say this, constructive criticism and reviews are greatly appreciated. If you're going to flame, I suggest you stop it since you're going to waste your time. By the way, the numbers 1803 refers to Konoka's birthday, 18th of March.


	2. As their paths cross

Akira: Well, hello again. To the readers, even though I've written a pm to almost all of you, I'd still like to say that I'm not going to reveal anything just yet. I would really want you guys read/see for yourselves as the story goes, rather than me spoiling everything for you. Where's the fun in that? xD Alright, enough of my rambling, it's annoying enough :x

To Furu-chan: Furu-chan! I hope you get better ne! I'll be waiting for you to come back soon :D

_Chapter I: As their paths cross_

"Hah… Hah… Hah…" The young samurai panted as he fell backwards onto the soft grass below him with his nodachi gripped tightly in his right hand, looking up into the blue skies. He shut his sepia eyes and smiled as he felt the gentle breeze caressed his flushed and rosy cheeks, red from his intense training. He had always enjoyed listening to the tranquil sounds of the flowing stream and the rustling of the leaves in the breeze while letting his ponytail flow together with the wind. It always managed to calm him down, somehow.

_How long has it been since then? Since I last believed in anything else other than myself…_

It had been a long time since he could spend his time alone, doing whatever he liked. These were the only times where he could relax and be himself with no sign of pretence. It was difficult for him to have some time alone, let alone do whatever he wanted to. He sighed and shook his head dejectedly. He desperately needed to get away from all those people, or rather, from _someone_. The voices of the leaves in the trees stopped gradually as the breeze subsided. Sighing once again, he sat back up and brought his knees to his chest after sheathing his sword. Hugging his knees close to himself while gripping his sword tight, he buried his face into his knees and breathed.

The words that his mother said to him on her deathbed still rang clearly in his mind.

_Let no one know of this matter. My child… Trust no one but yourself. Mark my words, dear child… Mark my…_

She died just then, leaving him alone in this cruel world. He clenched his fist tight until his knuckles paled completely, with no sign of blood in them. All the pretence… He hated it. But…

_Why?_

Why was he born with a curse like this? It was not fair to him. Even though he had never once complained, one could tell that he had closed his heart, never opening it up to anybody at all. Not once, not at all. He repressed the urge to spread his wings freely, for fear that someone might learn of his true form. It was painful to hide secrets like this, but he had to. It was all for his people, for his land, for his kingship. He longed to be loved, and yet, he could not love anyone for he could not trust. It was as if he buried his heart deep within the snow, freezing it eternally and patiently waiting for spring to come to melt the ice away.

The sudden rustle of leaves brought him to alertness and he readied himself to draw Yuunagi at anytime.

But a feminine yelp caused him to loosen his guard as he found a girl, somewhat his age sprawled onto the ground in an awkward position and peering innocently into his eyes. His face reddened visibly as he noticed her revealed legs under the position and quickly turned his face away while helping the girl up onto her feet.

"Are you all right?" He asked in a voice so gentle that he was even surprised at himself for using such a tone on someone whom he had just met.

"Ah… Arigatou," she smiled at him shyly and bowed.

Feeling the rush of heat subsiding from his face, he put on his mask of deception again and turned back to the girl muttering coldly, "It was nothing."

A confused expression soon dawned onto the girl's face as she noticed the change in his tone and manner so quickly.

_Huh? What a sudden change of attitude…_

Nevertheless, she stared into his sepia orbs and smiled again. She bowed slightly and said, "Nice to meet you! My name's Takahata Konoka! What's yours?"

He wasn't about to give in to the nervousness unknowingly building inside of himself anytime. Registering what she had just asked in his head, he blinked a couple of times. What…? Doesn't she know who he is? Ah, it might be a good thing. Looking straight back into Konoka's chocolate eyes, he opened his mouth and gave a laconic reply, "Sasaki Setsu."

"Ah… So it's Secchan ne? Just call me Kono-chan!" She gave a toothy grin and looked at him.

"Secchan…?" He raised his brow slightly at the nickname.

"Um… I can't call you that?" All of a sudden, her eyes became downcast and she looked a little disappointed.

"No, it's fine."

Silence.

Setsuna shifted uncomfortably as they looked at each other in silence. Unable to stand the silence, he continued, "What are you doing here?"

Suddenly, Konoka's eyes brightened up almost like a little girl who got her favorite doll on her birthday, she scratched her cheek with her index finger and laughed sheepishly.

"Ehehe… I'm lost actually. I wanted to ask you for directions, but you seemed so engrossed in your sword practice and I thought I shouldn't interrupt," She put her hands behind her back and leaned in closer to observe his features, "This is a wonderful place, I feel so comfortable just being here. Do you come here often?"

_He seems lonely…_

Setsuna took a step back from her approach and turned away to avoid looking into her eyes directly, only to feel the heat return to his cheeks again and his heart beat faster than it was.

"O-O-Only when I have the time to," He stuttered and fell on his bottom when she took another step forward. Setsuna knocked his head lightly with his fist and mentally scolded himself for losing balance while muttering something under his breath repeatedly.

_What a cute and interesting person…_

"Ah! That's right! Otou-san is waiting for me at home! Ne, Secchan, do you know the way out? I was taking a stroll in the forest and then I saw a really cute monkey in the trees so I tried to follow it but by the time I looked back I simply could not remember which way I came from because all the trees look almost the same and now Otou-san must be worried for me! What should I do? What should I do? What should I do?" She panicked and looked around her frantically.

_What a weird and energetic girl…_

Her words died in the background as he raised his eyebrows and scrutinized the mysterious girl whom he had just met and gave him a nickname which nobody else would dared to address him by, lost in his own thoughts about how strange she is. He was soon jolted out of his thoughts by a sudden outburst of "That's it!" right in his ear.

"Secchan, do you know the way out? Is it too much of a trouble for you if you led the way for me?" She frowned and rested her chin on her fingers as if thinking deeply.

He grunted and sighed, "I'll lead the way. Follow me."

-----

"Setsu-kun, you're back!" A high pitched happy shriek sounded in his ears, and soon, a breath seizing hug followed shortly after. He sighed.

"Get off, Azusa."

"I get it, you must be shy!" The brunette giggled and attached herself onto his arm.

Setsuna quickly brushed the person off his shoulders and back and continued walking towards his room. The journey to his room was torturous and painful due to the happy and annoying chirping brunette who was clinging onto his aching arm, attaching herself to him. This was why he didn't want to return home. _She_ was the reason that he didn't want to be here. He was dead tired, from sword practice and the meeting with the council didn't go as well as it was planned.

"Azusa, leave me alone. Please." He pulled away from her grip and walked into his room. When will she ever give up? He had no right to love anybody, not even a woman like her. He carefully set Yuunagi standing against the wall walked towards the bathroom. He removed his clothes when he entered the bathroom and stepped into the shower, memories of the past meetings flowing vividly into his mind.

"_Why?! This will benefit the people, why can't you just understand what I'm trying to do for the people?!" He stood abruptly from his chair, slamming both his hands onto the table._

Feeling the cold water on his pale skin, he sighed. He seemed to sigh a lot recently, he noticed. Especially after his meetings with the council, only to have his policies rejected one after another. There's only two years to go, two years before he loses his freedom completely.

"_You've not matured enough, young man. Politics is not as easy as it seems. By lowering the taxes for the people, we will have no money to prepare for war. The Mahorians are beginning to attack their neighboring countries, they will reach us soon. It has become even more chaotic after the siege of Mahora castle sixteen years ago. We will need the taxes as military funds in order to protect our land," the old man replied calmly, joining his hands together._

What the elder said wasn't wrong, but the people are suffering because of the wars going on and it even came to a point where the people could afford the taxes no longer. He gritted his teeth and punched the wall. If only… If only he could do something to help them…

"_Without the people, there wouldn't be a country! Don't you understand? They are suffering because of us! The taxes are too much a burden for the poorer families. Have you ever spared a thought for those people with big families? They need the money to support their families!" He raised his voice louder to emphasize his point._

"_That is enough! We will not implement the tax reduction. The council's decision is final. That is all for our meeting today," the old man stood from his seat, slowly gathering his documents before leaving the room._

Drying himself off, he slumped onto the fluffy white sheets and frowned deeply. How he wished that those problems he had could be solved easily. His mind soon drifted off to the girl whom he had just met earlier. That girl… She seemed so lively and energetic all the time. She was everything he wasn't. She was everything that he had hoped to be. Being free of these chains, like a bird which soars high and free in the skies. But most importantly, she was being herself. There was no sign of pretence in her actions and words. Every single word she said and thing she did came from the heart.

Everyone wanted to be in his place, he had a life which everyone would die for. He had everything; brains, looks, wealth, athletic abilities, and a beautiful fiancée whom any man would die for, and yet, all he ever truly wanted was a simple, peaceful life filled with love and happiness. He had never felt this empty before, not until he met her. It was then that he realized that he had been nothing but an empty shell, void of most emotions, living a life full of lies. He himself was the biggest lie ever. He buried his face into the pillows and shut his eyes tight.

_I… want to meet her once again…_

-----

He sat at the base of the tree and leaned against the trunk while he waited patiently.

Setsuna closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of nature.

He wasn't even sure if she would come by again today, or even appear at all in future. So why was he waiting? What was he hoping for anyway?

Soft footsteps interrupted his thoughts and he lifted his head, his sepia eyes meeting Konoka's chocolate orbs.

"So… I take it that you have the time to come here today?"

"I…" His mouth moved, but no words came.

He flushed.

And she smiled.

_End of Chapter_

Akira: Okay… now that we're reached the end of the chapter… This chapter's a little weird actually. I don't know why but, I've got a feeling that it doesn't flow. It must be because Furu-chan's not here to help -sobs- She's such a great writer and helper! -bawls even louder- I'm writing this in a bad writer's block condition, so… I don't expect it to be any good either. Gomen ne. But I hope you had fun reading it or something. Please review and tell me what you think ne? (I feel that this chapter isn't as good as the prologue since Furu-chan's not here to save me from my horrible writing. :( )


	3. Of Nightmares and Reality

Akira: A little note here and there Ah, I feel so refreshed after writing this. Again, this chapter isn't beta-ed, so it might have a few grammar errors here and there. If you find any, please tell me so that I can improve on my writing! AND for your information, Asuna won't be playing a very big role just yet. So you'll have to wait until the story really comes into play hehe. By the way, the era they live in isn't totally in the feudal era, it's a mix of almost everything ranging from medieval to modern day era, so please bear with me ne? -Bows-

To Furu-chan: Thank you for updating Dark Night Encounters! I loved it xD I know you've been really sick and I don't really want to burden you with beta-ing. So please get well soon! Looking forward to having you back healthy and in one whole piece! xD

_Chapter II: Of Nightmares and Reality  
_

"Tadaima, hime-chan!" the middle aged man announced as he opened the door, setting foot into the little house they lived in. (1)

"Okaeri nasai, Otou-san,' Konoka called from within the house. (2)

"It smells great! What're we having today, hime-chan?" the middle aged man placed his hands onto her shoulders and peered curiously into the boiling pot of brown substance.

Takahata raised his left hand and ruffled the girl's head, earning a grin and a reply from her saying, "It's a surprise, Otou-san. Could you get Asuna and tell her that dinner's ready?"

With that, Takahata laughed and ruffled his daughter's head once more before heading off towards the backyard where Asuna was doing her daily exercise.

-----

Setsuna hummed to himself as he walked through the dark halls without noticing the figure following him until he felt a tap on his shoulder, causing him to jerk a little in shock as he drew Yuunagi hastily while turning towards his 'attacker'. As the 'attacker' revealed herself, he lowered the nodachi after seeing a smirk and hearing a light chuckle coming from said 'attacker'.

"Oh it's only you, Kaede. Don't just tap me like that, you know me well enough to know that I might have just went ahead and attacked you," Setsuna sighed, shaking his head in disapproval at the taller girl and then smiled at the sight of his best friend. "Besides, Azusa doesn't like it when you or Mana or any other girls in fact have any form of physical contact with me, even something as light as this and it is improper for a girl like you to be touching me at all! By the way, aren't you supposed to be out at the borders?"

"What do you mean by 'only'?" Kaede replied, rubbing the back of her neck with her right hand and continued audibly, "There it is again, you and your improperness talk. I thought I'd pay you a visit or something since I thought you might be pretty lonely without me. I'm supposed to return today, they said they needed me back here for some reason." She put her arm around his shoulder quickly and laughed once she sensed Azusa walking away from the scene in a huff.

Sensing that his fiancée's presence is no longer in the area, he gave his friend another disapproving look and answered in an annoyed way, "You knew she was here, didn't you? I can't believe you, grabbing me at every chance just to annoy Azusa."

"The look on her face was worth every effort, trust me," She patted Setsuna on the back and paused suddenly as if remembering something. "That's right! Did something good happen today? You seemed to be in such a good mood that you didn't even sense my presence. I wonder who was it that affected _the_ Sakurazaki Setsuna in such a manner that he could even hum to himself in public (even though he thinks that there's nobody else around)."

The young samurai stared at the bright red carpet below him, the color of his face almost matching that of the carpet.

"T-There's no one like that."

Kaede gave a sly grin and quickly held Setsuna under a headlock, making him struggle at the sudden attack by his best friend.

"Spill, who is it?"

"Like I said, I didn't meet anyone like that!" The color on his face darkened, Kaede's grin grew even wider than it was before. It wasn't everyday that you get to see _the_ usual cold, unsociable Sakurazaki Setsuna act so helplessly against his best friend because of one little question.

"Your face tells me something else, now spill!"

"… Kaede, what're you trying to do to Setsuna?"

Kaede cast a glance at the tall and tanned girl and gave her a quick smile. "What am I doing…? A headlock of course, it doesn't look like I'm doing anything else right? Oh right, what're you doing here? I thought you were out on a mission?"

Setsuna struggled against the grip but to no avail. It seemed like Kaede would not let the matter rest so easily. The grip tightened and he gasped for air desperately.

_Need… air…_

"Mission completed. I'm supposed to report to the elders today."

"Hey Mana, do you want to spar later? I'm feeling out of shape recently and I'm looking for a sparring partner today."

"…"

"Ah, you killed him." Mana pointed at the limp body of Setsuna and blinked.

"Ah, you're right."

-----

_Murder… that's definitely attempted murder!_

Setsuna sat up with a groan on his bed, rubbing his stiff neck. Cursing under his breath, he made a mental note to himself never to go near Kaede in times like that ever again. He wasn't referring to the headlock though. Kaede was just too sharp when it came to little details like that and too dangerous to approach at the moment. But then again, what was he worried about? Why did he not want them to know? There wasn't a need to keep it a secret anyway. He massaged his temples as his head throbbed painfully. Damn… The headache is killing him. Deciding that he desperately needed a short nap to cure that accursed headache of his, he fell back onto the bed and closed his eyes, wiping away the bead of sweat threatening to fall from his brow if he made any more movement.

-----

…

_They're catching on to our movements. I have to act soon. The princess's life is in my hands, I cannot afford to make any mistakes._

Takahata sat on the edge of Konoka's bed, hand gently caressing the princess's head as a sign of affection. His lips curved upwards a little as he felt the teenage girl stirred a little and then sighed in her sleep, holding the Konoe pendant closer to her chest. Sixteen some years, they had constantly been on the run, and yet the girl knows nothing about her true lineage believing herself to be just a commoner who moved from country to country just because of her father's job.

Standing up to leave the room, he pulled the covers up upon his precious daughter and patted her head lightly before closing the door behind him. Removing his half-framed glasses, he leaned his back against the door behind and frowned. For how long, will he be able to keep her safe? Two teenage girls; entrusted under his care, both as dear to him as his blood-daughters. It pained him to even imagine if either one of them came to into harm's way.

_Where is he? Where is the white-winged warrior?_

-----

He struggled to breathe. Air, he needed it desperately. He felt as though his lungs were about to burst. The air around was suffocating and unbelievably cold. His lip was cracked and dry, there were gashes on his shoulder blade and left arm, and his kimono was soaked crimson with his own blood, torn beyond repair. He stumbled back suddenly as a pair of deathly and pale white hands reached for his face. He jerked back to reality as he retreated into a corner, his back hitting the old wooden door behind him. The hands had disappeared. Where had they gone to? He looked around himself frantically seeking for life in the same room. It was then that he realized that he was no longer in his bedroom, but somewhere else. Some place which carried the horrible scent of death in the air. The atmosphere was too overwhelming, and he figured that he needed to get out quick.

Setsuna wrinkled his nose and cringed at the sight of corpses that lay dead upon the ground, some rotting, some mutilated, and some, simply dismembered to the point that they could hardly be recognized as human bodies. His mind was clouded with confusion, and he dared not make any movement lest the creature sought him once again.

A whimper.

_What…?_

Then a piercing scream followed.

He could not think at all. He trembled violently due to the cold air and parted his lips. "Who is there? Show yourself!" His voice came out amazingly dry and hoarse, as if he hadn't drank for days.

"Secchan… is that you?" cracked a weak feminine voice in the darkness.

_Secchan? It can't b-_

"_Kill the half-breed! Kill the princess! Kill them both!"_ shrieked a shrill voice loudly.

Realization dawned upon him as the moonlight shone onto Konoka's tear-stained face which was cover with dark dried blood and dirt. He looked at the seemingly dead man beside her, his face barely recognizable due to the burn marks on his face. The man's eyes were blank, his crushed glasses fallen by his side, and his arms and legs were mangled. He took a step forward cautiously in apprehension…

Suddenly, the door broke into pieces with a loud bang and-

In the bed, the young man jumped awoke with a start, and inhaled sharply as though he couldn't breathe before. His cloths were drenched with sweat and _blood_? What the hell? Raising his hand to wipe away the sweat that made his bangs stuck to his forehead, he winced as he realized that the wounds were on his shoulder and arm, exactly where he was injured in that dream…

He got off the bed quickly and limped towards the bathroom, where he removed his blood-stained kimono. He dressed his wounds quickly, wondering how he had gotten himself the wounds, while he was on the bed all along. What the hell was that about?

…

A dream? It felt so real… and there was someone else besides himself. Who was it?

-----

Meanwhile, in the small house located in the forest, the chocolate haired girl whimpered in her sleep, clawing at the white sheets which were wet from her sweat tightly. She tossed and turned violently, causing the pillow under her to fall to the ground with a soft 'thud'.

"No please… not Otou-san… take me, take me instead…" she moaned incoherently in her sleep.

"Konoka, wake up!" Asuna leaned over her best friend, worry evident in her eyes as she shook the moaning girl awake.

Konoka opened her eyes suddenly, moving so quickly to sit up that she didn't notice Asuna's face above hers and knocked the orange-haired girl right on the forehead, causing her to lose her balance, falling off the bed that she was previously kneeling on. She winced at the impact and jerked back slightly, her hand immediately flying up to the bump that was quickly forming on her forehead as a result of the collision.

"O-ouch… that hurts, Konoka!" Asuna scrambled onto her feet as she set herself on the edge of her friend's bed and held her shoulders firmly and said, "Are you alright, Konoka? You were breaking out in cold sweat back there!"

"I'm fine. Don't worry. Let's get back to sleep, okay?" Konoka set her eyes upon the other girl and her own sweaty palms found a way to her friend's hands which were resting on her shoulders. She gave a reassuring squeeze, signaling that she was fine. Her hands shook a little though, and Asuna refused to buy it that she was fine and insisted that she should stay up to accompany Konoka for the whole night.

After convincing her friend that she was perfectly fine, she got off her bed and the ground below her didn't feel as stable as it had been before she went to bed. Konoka placed her hand against the wall, leaning towards it as she walked into the bathroom. She looked into the mirror in a daze, wondering what was the dream all about as she removed her top, changing into dry clothes. The nightmare felt so real, and yet she could remember nothing about it. What exactly happened?

-----

Perched on the tall oak outside the house stood a mysterious young boy who looked no more than thirteen years old. His lips curved up into a slight smile as he murmured to himself, "Hime… Mitsuketa…"

_End of Chapter II_

Tadaima – I'm home

Okaeri nasai, Otou-san – Welcome home, Father.

Akira: Well, that concludes the chapter! xD I know I'm evil for the cliff hanger, but I just couldn't help it! xD I've already decided on the gender thing a long time ago, so read more to find out ne? -Grin-

In my opinion, I feel that this chapter is a little better than the last, somehow lol. I'm sorry for the lack of KonoSetsu interaction in this chapter! And the OOC-ness of Kaede and Mana… I figured that it would be rather fun to see the three of them in that manner too! xD

Last but not least, I'd like to thank all of you for your wonderful reviews, without them, I may not be able to improve even a little. I hope you will continue to read on and review! It makes me very happy to know that there're people who like what I've written. Once again, thank you very much. I'll work hard to improve!


	4. The Past That Haunts

Akira: Hello everyone, I'm sorry for the delay. I've been real busy with my schedules. I hope this chapter is up to standard. Thank you so much for your reviews everyone, I really appreciate them. :D Again, this chapter is not beta-ed, so be forewarned that there will be mistakes here and there. Also, I'm trying to make some sort of a new style for MDCCCIII, so bear with me ne?

_I will not trust anyone other than myself. In a world like this, nobody can be trusted. Every being is ugly, selfish, and pretentious. And once you expose those lies, they are left with nothing. So why… why is it that I feel she is different from the rest?_

_Chapter III: The past that haunts_

"_Stay away from us, you lowly half-breed!" the Uzoku boy picked up a stone and threw it at young Setsuna._

"_Don't come near us, you filthy creature."_

Filthy creature!

"_He's cursed! My mother told me that you'll be cursed if you go near him!"_

Flash.

-----

"_That boy… he's only a half-breed. What gives him the right to the throne? There isn't even any proof that he has Uzoku blood in him. We haven't seen his wings, after all. Who knows, he might not even be Sakurazaki-sama's blood child," whispered a woman to her friend who was beside her._

"_He must be a bastard child conceived with another human man."_

"_I'm not a bastard child! I am Otou-sama's son!"_

"_My goodness, what ill manners. Didn't your mother teach you not to eavesdrop?" said the woman as she placed a hand on her mouth._

"_Forget it, Shibari-san. You can not expect much from the filthy human."_

-----

"_Hah! Who do you think you are? I befriended you because you look so pitiful. Don't get the wrong idea that I actually __**want**__ to befriend a filthy half-breed like you!"_

Befriended you because you look so pitiful…

Flash.

"_Setsuna, don't do it!" a pale woman stood in front of him, soaked in blood._

Another Flash.

"_Okaa-sama, no!" he dropped the knife he held so tightly in his hands and fell to his knees, sobbing. He stared at his bloodied hands in horror and buried his face in his hands and let out a painful scream._

"_Okaa-sama!!!"_

-----

_He stood at the altar, eyes lifeless and cold. He could hear faint whispers in the background._

"_Hey, did you hear?"_

"_She was killed by her own son."_

She was killed by her own son…

Killed by her son…

Killed by her-

No… Stop…

'_Setsuna… remember… trust no one...'_

Flash again.

"_Remember this, you're an unwanted child. Nobody needs you. The world would've been a better place if you never existed! It's your fault that your mother died. You murdered her!"_

It's your fault!

You murdered her!

"_You murderer! Don't come near us!"_

Murderer!

Stop! Please… Don't say it anymore! I'm not a murderer!

"_I'm sorry Okaa-sama… I'm so sorry… I won't do it again, please come back!"_

Young Setsuna crumbled to the ground and held his head in his hands as he rocked himself on the floor.

A tall woman entered the room and took a small step towards the boy in the corner of the room. The boy reacted immediately when she tried to place her hand on top of the broken child's head by raising both hands to shield himself.

She paused for a little, and then reached out her hand to caress the child on the head reassuringly.

The woman spoke, "Hey, do you want to come live with me for a while?" Her voice was firm, a little low, and yet gentle. It reminded him greatly of his mother's gentleness and kindness. It was at that moment that he cried for the first time ever since the day his mother passed away.

And on that very night, it rained.

-----

_I will become strong. And when I become stronger, I will never cry again…_

-----

Drip.

Drip.

His eyes snapped open quickly. Stupid memories… why did they have to resurface now? Ah… It's starting to drizzle. So that's why he got reminded of the past. Even though the droplets were soothing, the unsettling feeling in his heart rose more and more. He balled his fists at his sides and clenched his jaws tightly. Drawing Yuunagi in a flash, he began slicing the air and swinging Yuunagi. His steps were graceful, and his swings were as smooth as the flowing stream beside him.

"So you were here, Secchan! I couldn't find you at your usual spot," Konoka grinned and sat herself on a nearby rock. "Do you mind if I watch you practice?"

He turned to look at her, expressionless.

"Why do you always come to watch me practice? Isn't it boring?"

"It's because, Secchan looks most focused when he's practicing! Whenever I look at the hardworking and serious Secchan, I feel that even I will be able to do many things," said Konoka as she smiled warmly at the young Uzoku in front of her.

Setsuna widened his eyes at the comment, but then ignored the chocolate haired girl as he continued with the swings and moves. There were a couple of times where he caught the girl's soft gaze when he occasionally peeked at her from the corner of his eyes.

"Hey… why are you always here? Don't you have any friends?"

"Hmm… I've got a best friend who's lived with me for years. We're really close but she's got a job and she's working all the time so I hardly get to spend time with her unless she's at home."

"Ah, I see," came the ever short reply.

"So what about you, Secchan? Don't you have any friends? Do you have any siblings?"

"I… I'm the only child..." he stopped to ponder for a moment before continuing, "Friends… I guess I do."

"You guess?" she inquired.

He stopped whatever he was doing and turned to look at her.

He nodded slowly, and then returned to swinging Yuunagi again.

Without knowing why, she felt a sharp pain from deep within her. Was it empathy? Or was it sympathy that she was feeling? One thing she knew for sure, as long as she's around, she'd make sure that he doesn't feel that cold loneliness again.

The rain fell heavier.

-----

"Found the princess. There's somebody with her. Do we take her now?" the hooded figure gestured towards the pair in the clearing and waited calmly for a reply.

"No… we'll wait for the recovery of the _tome_. It's hidden here in this country; we have to find it before we capture the princess. We'll monitor her for now," the white haired boy said quietly and leaned forward to observe the pair closer.

-----

Looking up all of a sudden, Setsuna muttered silently to himself, "Shinmeiryuu Ougi… Hyakaryouran!"

The thick trunk of the tree split into halves, revealing the strangers dressed in weird, raven cloaks.

"Hn… He's not bad at all. Being able to sense us in this rain…"

Setsuna raised his nodachi, pointed it at the pair of intruders and spoke clearly, "State your name and country. What business do you have with us?"

The smaller figure took a step forward, and Setsuna gripped his weapon tighter, carefully shielding Konoka behind him.

"I believe that I am not obligated to answer your questions."

His piercing blue eyes gazed into Konoka's chocolate orbs, sending a chill down her spine. Slowly, the white haired boy lifted his hand with his palm facing the ground, a magic symbol appeared on the ground and a blinding light engulfed all of them.

"Well then, I shall see you around, Konoe-hime," the boy said, fixing his gaze upon Konoka, and within a fraction of the second, he was in front of Setsuna, whispering into his ear, "and you, too, Ojou-san."

Setsuna froze in his steps for a moment, and then forced himself to focus on the matter at hand.

"Wait!" Setsuna tried to stop them but the light was too bright and he raised his arm to shield his eyes from the light, trying to keep them open. When the pair opened their eyes, the intruders were already gone, leaving no trace of their existence at all.

"… Who the hell are they?"

'Konoe-hime?'

-----

An old man in a dark room cackled to himself and whispered softly, "Heh… Phase one shall commence soon..."

-----

_End of Chapter III_

Okaa-sama – Mother

Konoe-hime – Princess Konoe

Ojou-san – Miss/Lady (In short, a young woman)

Akira: Well then, this is the end of chapter III. Thank you for reading until now. Remember, reviews are food for authors! Hehe : P


	5. Beginnings

Akira: Goodness… I can't believe I updated this! It's been like almost two years! The story isn't dead yet, I swear. This will not be on my priority list, but it will still be updated if I have the time to write for this fandom. Let's move on to chapter IV!

_Chapter IV: Beginnings_

Who was that boy? How did he manage to find out her secret? Setsuna contemplated to herself as she sat in her room, still wearing her drenched clothes. What did he mean by Konoe? Wasn't Konoe the name of the previous rulers of the Mahora Kingdom? That girl, she was definitely no ordinary peasant. If she was who Setsuna thought she was… Uzoku land would be in immediate danger of being attacked by the Mahorians. As the 'prince' of the tribe, she had to do something about it; and quick.

_Never ever show your wings unless it's an emergency._

Well, it certainly was an emergency. She grabbed Yuunagi and headed straight for the window. With a little concentration, she mustered her strength and revealed her snowy white wings to no one but herself. Jumping off the window ledge, she spread her wings fully and flapped them hard. How many years has it been since she was allowed to fly? No, now's not the time for that. She had to find Konoka quick, the girl was in danger.

xxxxx

Konoka sat at the edge of her bed and shivered. That white haired boy… why did he call her Konoe-hime? The water from her clothes dripped clumsily onto the floor as she stayed in the same position, deep in thought.

"Tadaima, hime-chan, where're you?" the voice of Takamichi rang in the house merrily, bringing Konoka out of her daze as she stood up from her position.

"Okaeri nasai, Otou-san, I'm in the room," the brown haired girl replied forcibly and stepped out of her room in her drenched clothes unknowingly. Sensing that there was something not right, Takamichi made his way to his princess immediately and held her shoulders lightly in a caring manner as he set the drenched girl

"What's wrong hime? Did something happen?" his voice was stern, but the gentleness in it was undeniable. Konoka shook her head slightly and attempted a fake smile at her father even though she knew that he would soon see through her façade. After all, he was the one who knew her best; other than Asuna of course. The tall bespectacled man frowned. She was hiding something from him, and he knew it. Taking a deep breath this time, he cradled the teenage girl in his arms and caressed her head caringly before pulling away and looking straight into her chocolate brown eyes, asking once again, "Hime-chan, something did happen right? Whatever it is, you can tell me. I'll always be here to help you."

Hesitation was evident in her actions. She opened her mouth to speak, only to close them again. The silence was almost deafening as countless questions raged through her mind while she fumbled for the right words to say to her beloved father. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, the front door burst open, revealing an orange haired girl who fell face first onto the floor, apparently being tripped over by something that was placed near the entrance earlier. The Takahata girl bit her lip to fight back her urge to laugh out loud at her friend's weird position on the ground, momentarily forgetting about the question at hand.

Takamichi sighed; perhaps that was not the right time to ask. She would tell him if she was ready, he decided. It was a form of understanding that they had between them as father and daughter. Though they were not related by blood, he had grown close to the Konoe heir through the years, loving and caring for her as a father. To him, protecting Konoka was no longer an obligation but a way of loving his daughter. He gave her a small smile and stood to his full height while he ruffled her hair.

"I'll be in my room hime-chan, call on me if you want to talk, okay?"

"Sure, thank you, Otou-san," she smiled gratefully at her doting father and turned her attention back to her best friend who had already picked herself off the ground, brushing dust off as she gawked at her drenched roommate.

"Wow, whatever happened to you, must've been pretty epic what with you sitting in here wetting the bed with those clothes of yours," Asuna said to her jokingly and plopped right beside her.

"So what's up? It's not like you to sit here and worry."

"It's nothing, I just came back from the woods and it was raining really hard. I couldn't get out of the rain quick enough," the chocolate haired girl explained quickly.

"Oh… You should really go take a shower or something then, or else you're gonna catch a cold," the twin pigtailed girl gave her best friend a slight pat and squeeze on the shoulder as a form of assurance and left the room to the Takahata girl.

She let out a sigh. Questions that needed answers were not answered. She had to find out somehow. But who can help?

xxxxx

Somewhere along the borders of the Uzoku land a ninja panted heavily. Her breaths were erratic and her heart was beating in irregular rhythms. She looked around herself. She was greatly outnumbered and she knew that she could not last for long if the enemies kept coming in waves. Her end was near, she could feel it. She had to send them a message quickly lest it became too late for them to do anything. With one determined look at the pouring waves of enemies, she summoned all her strength and duplicated thousand images of herself and ordered a few of them to bring messages back to the capital.

She smirked to herself and muttered silently, "Let the game begin."

xxxxx

The storm was brewing. It seemed like the rain wouldn't be stopping anytime soon. The land was muddy and the rain was heavy enough to cause a landslide ahead of her. The ninja clone moved stealthily in the foreboding rain and soldiered on, trying to reach the capital as soon as she could no matter the obstacles.

xxxxx

It wasn't the right weather to be flying she knew. Even though logic told her that, flashes of images of the chocolate haired girl in danger urged her to fly on. Where the heck did the girl say she lived again?! Sensing hostility from her right, she dodged quickly to her left, narrowly avoiding the lightning strike which managed to come close to her.

"Dammit, where is she?!"

xxxxx

Back in the dark palace of the Uzoku tribe, bodies of Uzoku soldiers lay wasted in the corners of dark hallways as Mahorian spies combed the castle in silence for an ancient relic which slept within the deepest part of the dungeons.

"Keep searching, we must find it."

"Yes sir!"

xxxxx

The former captain of Mahorian royal knights jerked awake from his sleep. Something was wrong, he could feel it. Something was nearing, but what? With a grunt, the former knight groped around in the darkness for his glasses and placed them upon his nose as soon as he found them. Takamichi reached under his bed and quietly pulled an old, dust covered chest from underneath the bed.

'Long time no see, old friend,' thought the man as he removed the sword from the chest. The sheathed sword emitted a light glow as it was removed from the dusty chest. The symbol engraved upon the sword was of the royal knights of the Mahora kingdom. The Takahata man grabbed hold of the sword and slowly tip-toed his way to the girls' room and gave it a silent knock. The only thing he could hear in the silence of the night was the sound of his slow, steady breathing and the falling of the rain outside.

"Otou-san?" the door to the girls' room creaked open, revealing a slightly disheveled girl who was rubbing her eyes to keep them open.

"Hime-chan, can you wake Asuna-kun?" spoke the bespectacled man in a whisper. The chocolate haired girl cocked her head to the side in confusion, her eyes questioning her father for an answer to his actions.

"I'm sorry hime-chan, there's no time to explain now. I'll explain everything later," the tall man hushed and urged the girl to move quickly.

xxxxx

"You will never find what you want here!" spat the Uzoku man at his assailant, the blood from his mouth landing upon the assassin's face.

The man grinned sickly and twisted the sword which was embedded deep in the Uzoku advisor's abdomen, earning a deafening scream from the impaled man.

"You will tell me where it is, whether you want to or not, Hattori Soichi-san."

'Please be safe, Setsuna-sama. Do forgive your humble servant for not being able to serve you any longer,' with that last thought, the Uzoku man grabbed hold of the embedded blade with his bare hands and plunged it deeper.

xxxxx

"Isn't it time yet, Fate?!" the woman whined impatiently as she twirled the knife in her hand, "Izanagi is crying for blood to be spilled!"

The white haired boy threw a cold glance at the woman, his blue eyes piercing through her soul and replied emotionlessly, "Have you forgotten _his_ orders?"

"But!"

"We wait, they're already on the move."


End file.
